Kaito followed Rin deeper into the base, the antiseptic hallway opening into a more populated section of the compound. The once-abandoned military base had been reappropriated—bald concrete walls now had makeshift shelving filled with tools, wires, and various blueprints. Rebel engineers passed by, some nodding in acknowledgement, others casting wary glances in his direction.
They entered a huge control room that looked out over the center of the base: an operations deck the size of a hangar, packed full of aging mechs, armored transports, and machinery that seemed to be a marriage of junkyard salvage and cutting-edge military technology. Holographic displays flickered to life along a central nexus, showing city maps, power grids, and EXO-Ω schematics.
"This place is. something," Kaito said, his gaze roaming the hive of frenetic activity. "Like a war bunker got pregnant with a tech convention."
"It's a mishmash of stolen tech and Last-Resort ingenuity," Rin replied. "Every single piece of equipment you see here was stolen, hacked, or scavenged from under Sakoji's nose. That's how we've stayed off the radar so far.
A voice called out from the far end of the platform. The tall, scar-faced man—whom Rin had earlier identified as Commander Veyron—approached them with a clipboard, two lieutenants in tow.
"Kaito," Veyron said seriously. "You're not here to be taken on a tour of the facility. You're here because you're now a part of this war—whether you like it or not. I need to know what you can do.".
Kaito crossed his arms. "Well, I'm pretty great at making jokes while under pressure. And my shiny new EXO suit makes me feel like I'm like a badass MC from anime or something."
One of the lieutenants snorted with laughter. Veyron looked in a blanked expression.
You'll need more than jokes to survive out there," the commander snapped. "We're planning a strike in three days' time. A recon facility up by the upper city. We believe they're using it to funnel EXO prototypes to high-ranking officials. If we don't hit them now, we lose any hope of crippling Sakoji's supply chain."
Rin stepped forward. "Kaito's not front-line ready yet. We need to run sync diagnostics on his EXO interface. The suit's neural matrix hasn't fully bonded."
Veyron stopped, then nodded. "Alright. But if he's staying, he's working. Get him briefed and scanned. I want him on rotation within forty-eight hours."
As he walked off, and Lio appeared at the side, spinning a tablet stylist around her fingers.
"He's very charming, isn't he?" she said dryly. "Reminds me of my old boss. The one who managed to blow himself up trying to hotwire a plasma grenade."
She handed a tablet over to Kaito. "Come on, mystery boy. Time to take a look under the hood. I want to see what your new toy is hiding."
◇
Kaito leaned back in the lab's diagnostic chair, the EXO-Ω suit partially disengaged as scanners hummed around him. Lio leaned forward over a console, her eyes scanning channels of encrypted data.
"This neural mesh… it's alive almost," she said astonished. "Your father wasn't developing technology—he was building an sort of ecosystem like function, The EXO-Ω isn't merely synchronized with you physically; it's learning from you. Adapting. It's synchronizing with your emotional responses, hormonal spikes, even unconscious signals."
"That's. frightening. And kinda cool i guess," Kaito said.
Rides on the hormones," Lio winked. "But, if Sakoji can get his paws on the final blueprint, he can create soldiers who don't disobey by letting the suit hold their will."
Kaito stared at the graphs of his own brainwave activity imposed upon the suit's AI feedback. "He wants to create a superior race. He desires control."
Lio's smile dropped. "Yes. Your father realized that, a little too late.".
There was a heavy silence in the room.
Kaito turned away. "I thought he just left us out of the blue. That he didn't care. But I know now that he was handling all this… alone."
Lio walked over, touching his shoulder. "He wasn't perfect, Kaito. None of us are. But he believed you were hope. Not because of your DNA, but because of your heart. He hoped that maybe—just maybe—you'd do what he couldn't."
◇
The barracks wing of the rebel base had all the charm of a refurbished prison—uncomfortable bunks, harsh overhead lighting, and the lingering scent of gym socks and sweat. Kaito dragged his way down the hallway, still wearing the EXO-Ω suit like a man who refused to admit he was tired.
"This place has the warm hospitality of a meat locker," he complained.
Rin walked silently behind him, her hands in her pockets, her face stoic as ever.
"Technically, this used to be a rogue android holding facility," she said casually.
"Nice," Kaito said drily. "Can't wait to sleep in the same bed that maybe housed a killing robot."
They turned the corner and entered a dormitory-type room—metal bunks along the wall, one flickering lamp above. Kaito fell onto the nearest bed like a man who'd just survived the apocalypse.
The bed emitted a loud, metallic creak.
"…and my backbone is officially broken," he groaned.
Rin folded her arms and rested against the wall. "Next time, try taking off the suit before plunging into a steel bed."
"Noted," Kaito replied, holding his back in somewhat agony.
Suddenly, the door slammed open with a bang!—followed by a short girl with hyper energy drinks and snack wrappers.
"IT'S YOU!" shouted a voice. "We've got a newbie with a tragic backstory and an ass tighter than yours truly!"
Kaito shot upright. "What the hell—?!"
A girl with short red hair burst into the room like a sugar-fueled storm, nearly tripping over her own oversized hoodie. She carried two energy drinks, a bag of chips, and the aura of a person who had over 2 gallons of caffeine.
"Name's Yuisaka!" she declared, planting a foot on the edge of his bed as if she'd claimed it. "Explosives expert. Morale officer. Party gremlin. I run this wing—by sheer force of personality."
Kaito blinked. "…You live here?"
"Live? I thrive here," Yuisaka said with a dramatic flourish. "And you must be Kaito. Dead dad, lethal tech, a face that says 'Pornography can save the world." She mocks in a deep toned voice.
"I… what now?"
"You're welcome," she said, tossing him a bag of dubious snacks. "Consider it a housewarming gift."
Kaito caught the bag and read the label. "These expired… a year ago."
Yuisaka leaned in, eyes wide. "No, Aged. Like military corruption or good cheese." Rin coughed from the wall. "Yui."
Yuisaka turned to her. "Rinny! I didn't know you were babysitting the new guy!"
"I'm not," Rin said dryly. "I was trying to make sure he didn't touch anything and blow up the base."
Yuisaka looked at Kaito. "Sounds like something you'd do."
Kaito raised a hand. "For the record, I only accidentally triggered two security drones today."
Rin pointed. "See?"
Yuisaka gasped, eyes twinkling. "We are going to be best friends."
Kaito blinked. "Wait, seriously?"
Yuisaka plopped down on the bed next to him. "Yep. I hereby dub you my new trouble buddy. First rule of friendship with me? No crying unless I can record it and add a sad violin background track."
Kaito cracked a grin. "Oh great. I've joined the rebellion and been adopted by a sleep-deprived raccoon with caffeine problems."
Rin smirked faintly. "You're not wrong."
Yuisaka gasped again. "Rin smiled at a joke?! It's happened! Someone mark the calendar!"
"Don't get used to it," Rin muttered, turning toward the exit. "I'm going to make sure the security system's rearmed. Try not to break the new guy."
"No promises!" Yuisaka called as Rin left.
Once she was gone, Yuisaka sprawled out on the bunk, her legs flopped over the edge like a bored teenager.
"So," she said, staring at Kaito's suit. "What's it like wearing the most overpowered tech on Earth while having the emotional stability of a fish out of water?"
Kaito chuckled. "Weirdly accurate."
"Trust me," Yuisaka said, tossing a chip in her mouth, "we're all living disasters here. You'll fit right in."
For the first time since arriving at the base, Kaito laughed—a real one, not the forced, trying-to-cope-with type.
And for the first time in a very long while, he did not feel completely alone.